Arrangement for attaching a clothes dryer to the top of a clothes washer

ABSTRACT

A VERTICALLY STACKED COMBINATION CLOTHES WASHER AND CLOTHES DRYER WHEREIN THE TOP OF THE WASHER CABINET HAS A TOP OPENING IN JUXTAPOSITION WITH A BOTTOM OPENING ON THE DRYER CABINET. A CONTROL SUPPORT PANEL PROVIDES A PARTITION BETWEEN THE CABINETS OF THE WASHER AND DRYER CLOSING THE OPENINGS, RIGIDIFYING THE CABINETS AND PROVIDING A MOUNTING PANEL FOR COMPONENTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE WASHER AND THE DRYER. THE DRYER CABINET OVERHANGS THE REAR OF THE WASHER CABINET TO PROVIDE A PROTECTED UTILITY CONNECTION AREA. A PAIR OF HEAVY PLATES SANDWICH JUXTAPOSED FLANGES ON THE WASHER AND DRYER CABINETS TO PROVIDE A SOLID CONNECTION OF THE CLOTHES DRYER TO THE CLOTHERS WASHER.

Oct. 12, 1971 B BRUCKEN 3,611,756

ARRANGEMENT FOR A'iTACHING A CLOTHES DRYER TO THE TOP OF A CLOTHES WASHER Filed July 8, 1970 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 9 B ron y m zw ATTORNEY c 1 1 7 B. L. BRUCKEN ARRANGEMENT FOR ATTACHING A CLOTHES DRYER TO THE TOP OF A CLOTHES WASHER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 8, 1970 INVIL NTUR yron ,C. Brae/1222 AT TORNF Y United. States Patent 3,611,756 ARRANGEMENT FOR ATTACHIN G A CLOTHES DRYER TO THE TOP OF A CLOTHES WASHER Byron L. Brncken, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich. Filed July 8, 1970, Ser. No. 53,088 Int. Cl. D06f 29/00 US. Cl. 68-3 R Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A vertically stacked combination clothes washer and clothes dryer wherein the top of the washer cabinet has a top opening in juxtaposition with a bottom opening on the dryer cabinet. A control support panel provides a partition between the cabinets of the washer and dryer closing the openings, rigidifying the cabinets and providing a mounting panel for components associated with the washer and the dryer. The dryer cabinet overhangs the rear of the washer cabinet to provide a protected utility connection area. A pair of heavy plates sandwich juxtaposed iflanges on the washer and dryer cabinets to provide a solid connection of the clothes dryer to the clothes washer This invention relates to a domestic appliance and, more particularly, to a combination clothes washer and clothes dryer which are in stacked-0n relationship to one another. The clothes dryer rests directly on the top of the clothes washer to the rear portion of the top wall thereof thereby to provide an access opening to the clothes Washer in front of a slanted panel of the clothes dryer.

Clothes dryers have been placed in stacked-on relationship in the prior art. However, the prior art provided columns for supporting the clothes dryer a spaced distance above the clothes washer and by such an arrangement produced a combination appliance which was too tall to be of practical value in a domestic residence. Ac-

cordingly, this invention is directed to a mounting arrangement for a combination washer and dryer wherein the clothes dryer rests directly on the top of the clothes washer.

It is an object of this invention to provide a laminar mounting arrangement for directly mounting a clothes dryer to the top wall of a clothes washer.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a clothes dryer cabinet having a bottom opening mounted to a clothes washer having a top opening substantially coextensive with the bottom opening in the clothes dryer and including a control support panel closing the openings of both the dryer and washer and providing thereby a partition for mounting auxiliary components associated with both the clothes dryer and the clothes washer.

A more particular object of this invention is the provision of juxtaposed appliance cabinets forming a combination washer-dryer wherein the cabinets have juxtaposed ilanges and a pair of heavy plates sandwiching the juxtaposed flanges of the cabinets and fastened together to form a solid connection of the appliance cabinets.

A still further object of this invention is the provision of stacked-on appliance cabinets comprising a combination washer-dryer joined by a common partition wherein the dryer cabinet is offset to the rear of the washer, cabinet to form a protected utility service connection area im-.

ice

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a combination washerdryer with a clothes dryer stacked directly on top of the clothes washer;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 22 in FIG. '1 to show one side of the laminar mounting arrangement of this invention;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 33 in FIG. 2 to show an access door safety switch mounting arrangement from the front thereof;

FIG 4 is a section taken along line 4-4 in FIG. 2 showing the access door safety switch from the top thereof;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 55 in FIG. 4 showing the access door safety switch from the side thereof with the door open position being shown in phantom line; and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary exploded perspective view illustrating the support panel arrangement for supporting the appliance controls and for joining the washer and dryer cabinets.

In accordance with this invention and with reference to FIG. 1, a combination washer-dryer 10 is illustrated. The appliance includes a sheet metal washer cabinet '12 forming a top loading clothes washer and a sheet metal dryer cabinet 14- forming a front loading clothes dryer mounted directly on the top of the washer cabinet to the rear of a top wall portion .16 thereof which includes an access door 18. The front of the dryer cabinet 14 includes a vertical wall 20 having an access door 22- and a sloped front wall portion 24 forming a jointure 26 with the top wall portion of the washer cabinet immediately to the rear of the washer access door 1-8.

With reference to FIGS. 1, 3 and 5, the clothes dryer cabinet 14 is comprised of .035 inch sheet metal having at each side along the bottom thereof a horizontal turnedin flange 30 forming with said front panel 24 bottom opening 32. The clothes washer cabinet 12 is comprised of .035 inch sheet metal having at each side along the top thereof a turned-in flange 3 6 which forms a top opening 34 with the top wall 16 of the washer cabinet. The dryer cabinet flange 30 is supported on the washer cabinet flange 36.

One of the features in this combination laundry appliance is a provision in the stack-on mounting arrangebottom opening 32. of the dryer cabinet which overhangs -the protected area 44.

A control support panel 50* forms a common partition between the washer and dryer cabinets and supports the controls therefor. Galvanized steel .05'16 inch thick is used to form the support panel which is otherwise rigidified by stiffening means, such as side-to-side flanges 52 and 54, .62 inch in length and front-to-back embossments 56 having a 26 inch depth.

The control support panel 50 is coextensive with the bottom opening 32 of the dryer cabinet. It also covers the top opening 34 of the washer cabinet and overhangs the protected area 44 where it includes openings 60 for the hot and cold water lines and an opening 62 for the power supply.

Each side 64 of the support panel overlies the respective pair of cabinet flanges 30, 36 to form a three-layer laminate of sheet metal. The laminate is sandwiched between a pair of mounting plates 68, 70, each being inch thick. The top plate 68 is first fastened to the support panel 50 by a countersunk screw 72. Then this subassembly 50, 68 is fastened by screw 73 to the side flange 30 of the dryer cabinet. Lastly, the bottom plate 70 is joined to the top plate 68 through holes in the three-layer laminate by means of bolts 76. When bolts 76 are tightened the dryer cabinet 14 is locked solidly to the washer cabinet 12 with the support panel 50 rigidifying the stacked-together cabinets at the plane of their jointure.

The support panel 50 is also the support for controls serving both the washer and dryer. For instance, a water valve 80 is secured to the panel with its hot and cold water legs 82 extending through openings 60 leading to the protected area 44. A pressure switch 84 is carried on the panel and includes a pressure conduit 86 extending through the panel to the washer where it measures water level. An electrical terminal block 90 is carried on the panel over the opening 62 therein. Power connections are made at this point for both the washer and dryer. For instance, a wiring harness 92 is connected to the power supply at the terminal block 90. The harness includes onehalf 94 of a male-female connector which snaps into an opening in the panel 50. The other half 96 of the connector can join the half 94 after the clothes washer mecha nism is installed in the washer cabinet 12. In addition, the support panel 50 carries the motor-blower assembly 100 for the clothes dryer.

Another feature of this mounting arrangement is the connection between the access door 18 and a door safety switch 102. The switch 102 is mounted on the panel 50 by screws 104 in a manner which locates a switch actuator 106 over a hole 108 in the panel 50. The access door 18 has solidly connected thereto a bent-up rod forming a switch actuating arm or bridge 110 between the door and the switch. The door 18 is hinged in a manner to facilitate pivoting (FIG. 5) between a closed position A in the plane of the top wall of the washer cabinet and an open position B generally in the plane of the front panel 24 of the dryer cabinet. As the door pivots between posi tions the arm 110 moves the actuator 106 to operate the door safety switch 102 to immobilize the clothes washer mechanism when the access door is open.

It should now be seen that an improved mounting arrangement has been provided wherein a common separate partition between stacked-on laundry cabinets serves not only as a means to preassemble the electrical components of the washer and dryer but also as a rigidifying member in a sandwiched connection of the cabinets.

What is claimed is:

1. A mounting arrangement for a stack-on laundry appliance comprising a sheet metal washer cabinet having a top wall including an access door portion at the front thereof and a horizontal washer cabinet flange at the rear thereof defining with said access door portion a top opening, a sheet metal dryer cabinet having a front panel to the rear of said access door portion and forming a jointure therewith, a back panel spaced from the rear of said washer cabinet to form with the rear of said washer cabinet a protected utility connection area and a horizontal dryer cabinet flange overlying said washer cabinet flange and defining with said front and back panels a bottom opening coextensive with said top opening and extending over said protected utility connection area, a control support panel separate from said cabinets for supporting washer and dryer control means, said support panel closing the top opening of said washer cabinet and the bottom opening of said dryer cabinet and having a side edge overlying the cabinet flanges of said washer and dryer to form a laminate of sheet metal, a pair of mounting plates sandwiching said laminate and locked together to form a solid connection between said support panel, said dryer cabinet and said washer cabinet, and washer and dryer control means carried by said support panel for controlling said Washer and dryer, said control means including means extending through said support panel for connection with a utility supply in said protected utility connection area.

2. The mounting arrangement of claim 1, including an access door in said access door portion, said access door pivoting between a closed position coplanar with the top wall of said washer and an open position substantially coplanar with the front panel of said dryer and wherein said control means includes a door switch adjacent said front panel having an actuator actuatable through said control support panel, said access door having a switch actuating arm fastened thereto and extending rearwardly generally in the plane of said door to a position adjacent the top opening of said washer cabinet and the actuator of said door switch whereby to actuate said door switch when said access door pivots between said open and closed positions.

3. The mounting arrangement of claim 1, wherein said means extending through said support panel is a water valve adapted for connection with hot and cold water hoses in said protected utility connection area.

4. The mounting arrangement of claim 1, wherein said means extending through said support panel is an electrical terminal block means, said terminal block means including one-half of a terminal connector on one side of said support panel adapted for connection with the other half of said terminal connector on the other side of said support panel.

5. A mounting arrangement for a stack-0n laundry appliance comprising a sheet metal washer cabinet having a top wall including an access door at the front thereof and a top opening at the rear thereof defined at one side by a horizontal washer cabinet flange, a sheet metal dryer cabinet wall mounted directly on said top, said dryer cabinet having a front panel to the rear of said access door forming a jointure with said top wall and having a horizontal dryer cabinet flange overlying said washer cabinet flange and defining with said front panel a bottom opening, a support panel in a horizontal plane closing the top opening of said washer cabinet and the bottom opening of said dryer cabinet and having a side edge overlying the flanges of said washer and dryer cabinets to form a laminate of sheet metal, said support panel including means for stiffening thereof in the horizontal plane, a pair of mounting plates each substantially inch thick and substantially as wide as said laminate sandwiching said laminate, said plates being locked together by fastening means to form a solid connection of said dryer cabinet and said washer cabinet to said stiffened support panel, and control means carried by said support panel for controlling said laundry appliance.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,871,688 2/1959 Geldhof 68-192. 3,545,235 12/1970 Menk 68-20 X FOREIGN PATENTS 222,407 6/1959 Australia 682O WILLIAM I. PRICE, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

